


In the Rose Garden

by Jarino



Series: Manon Tabris, Hero of Ferelden [2]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Origins
Genre: Bad Days, Comfort, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gardens & Gardening, Hurt/Comfort, Romantic Gestures, Roses
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-02
Updated: 2016-10-02
Packaged: 2018-08-19 04:39:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,733
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8190392
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jarino/pseuds/Jarino
Summary: After a less-than-ideal day, Manon worries she isn't up to the task of being Chancellor, but Alistair has a surprise that's sure to cheer her up.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Artwork by me. Original post is here: http://jarinodragonage.tumblr.com/post/139878746793/how-could-something-so-beautiful-exist-in-a-place

Heaving a weary sigh, Manon practically threw herself onto the bed, the mattress bouncing slightly in the process. It felt like this day was never going to end. Her day had started bad from the moment she woke up and it had gone downhill from there – and it was barely noon. She dreaded what might await her outside those doors, yet she knew she would have to face it eventually.

As she laid face-down on the bed, she caught the sound of the door opening and closing softly, followed closely by footsteps. The mattress dipped with the newcomer’s weight as they settled beside her.

“Bad day?”

His breath was hot on her ear, his deep murmur wrapping her in a soothing, comforting aura.

She responded by groaning into the bedspread and he gave a small chuckle. His hands began running up and down her back in a calming gesture, though it was somewhat difficult to get the full effect of the massage through the thick material of her dress.

“Let me guess…” he hummed thoughtfully. “Someone mistook you for a servant again?”

The irritated grumble she made would have been answer enough for him, but she spoke up even so. “It was the Bann I was scheduled to meet with today. I passed by him in the entryway and he called me over, insisting I bring his belongings to his room.” She let out a sigh. “I calmly explained that I was the Chancellor he’s supposed to be meeting with, but he didn’t seem particularly apologetic about his mistake.”

As Alistair continued to rub circles into her back, he offered, “Well, don’t worry about him. In the grand scheme of things, his opinion doesn’t amount to much.”

Another sigh escaped her lips and she slowly moved to sit up. “It wasn’t just that, though. At first, it didn’t bother me that much, but I’ve had to deal with similar situations all morning.”

“Like what?” he asked, placing an arm around her as she leaned against him.

“Little things, mostly…I found out earlier that Truffles was feeling ill, so I had to track down an apothecary that could properly diagnose him, which had me worried for the better half of the morning…then there was the incident with the Bann…Later, when it came time to prepare for the meeting, I came here searching for my notes, only to find they’d been delivered to my ‘actual room’ instead.”

She released a low groan, nestling her head against his neck. “The whole palace is aware that I spend my nights here…I’m not certain if the servants keep moving my stuff there because they disapprove of us or if they think they’ll get in trouble for making assumptions about our relationship…”

Alistair began running his fingers through her hair in consolation, and though she made an appreciative sound, her voice still carried a measure of exhaustion. “Then the meeting in question was a disaster…I was barely able to find my notes in time, so I rushed in at the last second looking completely haphazard…And he was just so insistent about his demands! He kept complaining that the peasants of his Bannorn were threatening to revolt and requested more soldiers for his Keep. When I tried to negotiate that finding the sources of their complaints and addressing them would be a better use of resources, he turned up his nose at me!” she exclaimed with a frustrated huff.

“Hm…” he mused. “I think I know something that’ll cheer you up.”

Manon laughed lightly in response. “I appreciate the offer, but I’m not particularly in the mood right now.”

He gave his own chuckle before replying, “Not _that_ …although if you change your mind, I certainly wouldn’t be opposed.” He threw her a cheeky grin before receiving a playful shove from her. Laughing, he amended, “No, no…but seriously, come on. I’m sure you’ll love it.”

She raised a skeptical brow, but smiled and allowed him to pull her to her feet.

“Close your eyes,” he instructed. “Don’t want to ruin the surprise.”

Giving him an exasperated look, she made a dramatic show of rolling her eyes before closing them. His hand soon found its way around hers and he gradually began leading her out of the bedroom.

She hadn’t lived in the palace long enough to memorize its layout, but from the various twists and turns he took, she had a general idea of where he was taking her. Her suspicions were confirmed when he opened a door and the chill of fresh air swept over her face. However, she decided to continue playing along.

Letting go of her hand for a moment, he said, “Keep your eyes shut…I’ll tell you when to open them.”

She just smiled in response, waiting patiently for whatever he had in store for her.

“Okay…” she heard him say from a few feet away. “You can open them…now!”

Slowly, she opened her eyes, blinking slightly to adjust to the bright daylight. When she was able to fully take in the sight before her, her mouth dropped open and she stared ahead in awe.

“Ta-da!” he announced, spreading his arms to showcase his surroundings.

She was at a loss for words. When they’d first moved into the palace, the garden hadn’t been particularly substantial. It wasn’t very high on Loghain’s list of priorities, after all. Alistair had insisted they remedy that, and once the majority of the matters related to the Blight had been addressed, he’d made it his personal mission to renovate the garden. He’d had help from the gardeners of course, but he’d insisted on partaking in the manual labor of it. His one rule was that Manon keep away from the garden until he was finished.

When he’d told her he had a surprise, she’d been quick to guess that this was what he was referring to, but even so, she was in no way prepared for the sight that stood before her.

Dozens upon dozens of rose bushes had filled the once-empty spaces of the garden. Arbors and trellises wove their way through the space, with roses climbing their way to the sky. Splashes of reds, pinks, and yellows dotted the landscape, surrounded by a sea of deep green. A modest fountain stood in the center of the crossing pathways, and just beyond that, Manon spotted a gazebo in the back corner; a perfect hideaway for when she needed space to herself.

And he’d done all this for her. She could remember all the times she’d spotted him in the weeks leading up to this; where he would come inside utterly covered in dirt and sweating up a storm. He never complained about his aching back, yet it was easy to see how tense his muscles were from his exertions.

The garden was more beautiful than she could have ever dreamed. But this was a gesture that went far beyond that. Instantly, her thoughts roamed to the day he’d given her that rose from Lothering.

It had been such a small, simple gesture, but it had meant the world to her. It was the first time he’d iterated his desire and appreciation for her, and though he might not have realized it at the time, it had been the first step toward confessing his love.

She’d wanted to preserve that moment forever, and had responded by pressing the flower in one of her journals – a journal which currently resided on a shelf in their bedroom. And as nice as it was to be able to recall that memory at a moment’s notice, there was a certain sadness in losing the initial qualities that made the rose so beautiful in the first place. Its vibrant red color became dull and subdued and its soft, silky petals grew dry and brittle. In favor of preserving that moment in time, all the things that Alistair had loved about the flower – that he had compared to Manon – were now lost forever.

But now they had an entire garden filled with roses as far as the eye could see. Each one was practically unique in terms of its color and shape, yet as a whole, they made for an unbelievably gorgeous spectacle.

And in addition to the charm of having so many flowers at their fingertips, the message he was presenting to her was clear. The rose he’d picked for her in Lothering had been a symbol of all the things he’d adored about her and now she was being presented an entire garden of reasons why he cared for her. If she ever doubted, if she ever began to dwell too much on her insecurities, she need only come out here for a reminder of how deeply he cherished her.

Tears welled in her eyes and she found herself choked up with emotion. It was perfect. It was too much. It was…

“So…do you like it?” he asked with a sheepish smile.

Unable to form proper words, she responded by running into his arms, practically crushing him into a hug.

Laughing, he returned the embrace. “I’ll take that as a yes, then.”

Tears streaming down her face, she nodded furiously. “Thank you,” she whispered adamantly. “Thank you...”

“You’re very welcome, my dear,” he murmured softly, planting a kiss on the crown of her head.

She continued to weep for joy, her mouth spread into an uncontrollable grin. This was more than she could have ever dreamed. In her first few months as Chancellor, she’d begun to doubt her ability to navigate the political realm, and more than once, had fallen into despair. However, no matter how often she seemed to lose hope, Alistair was right there to pick her back up again. He never chastised, never coddled. He merely offered whatever comfort he could while offering subtle reminders of how much faith he had in her.

He knew she could do this and loved her with every fiber of his being. Despite all the evidence that should have proved contrary, he continued to hold her in such high regard.

In that moment, she vowed to prove herself worthy of such praise. No matter what the world threw at them, she was going to remain by his side. With the Maker as her witness, she was going to be the best damned Chancellor she could be.


End file.
